Opposition candidate Lokubandara elected Speaker

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2004, 13:34 GMT]
Mr.W.J.M.Lokkubandara of the main opposition United National Front was elected Speaker of Sri Lanka's thirteenth parliament Thursday in the final round of re-poll by a one-vote margin. He polled 110 votes and his rival Mr.D.E.W.Gunasekara of the ruling party United People's Freedom Alliance polled 109 votes, Secretary General of the Parliament, Ms. Priyani Wijesekara, announced Thursday at about 7:25 p.m.


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Pandemonium reigns in SL parliament, UPFA MPs grab ballot box

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2004, 09:04 GMT]
Pandemonium reigns in Sri Lanka's thirteenth parliament in electing its sixteenth Speaker when the re-poll commenced around 2.20 p.m. Thursday as ordered by the Secretary General Ms Priyani Wijesekara. As the UPFA parliamentarians seated surrounding the Speaker's Chamber keeping the ballot box with them and some sitting on the ballot box they earlier grabbed from the parliamentary staff the Secretary General of the parliament is still struggling to bring the tense situation under control, sources said.
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Sri Lanka's parliament Speaker contest ends in tie

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2004, 07:48 GMT]
Second round of voting to elect the sixteenth Speaker of Sri Lanka's Parliament is expected to be held Thursday afternoon as the two candidates contesting for the post of Speaker received 108 votes each in the first round of voting with seven parliamentarians abstaining and with one vote being rejected, parliamentary sources said.
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Missing Bhikku parliamentarians attend new Parliament opening

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2004, 04:50 GMT]
The first session of the thirteenth Parliament of Sri Lanka began Thursday morning around 10 am in a tense atmosphere to elect its sixteenth Speaker since independence.
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Two JHU Bhikku parliamentarians said missing

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 April 2004, 20:16 GMT]
The mystery over two missing Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) parliamentarians took a dramatic turn Wednesday when the leadership of the JHU threatened the ruling United Peoples' Freedom Alliance that it would not support the UPFA government even if it brought progressive pieces of legislation in the new parliament, political sources said.
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Countdown begins for election of Sri Lanka’s Speaker

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 April 2004, 18:19 GMT]
The first meeting of the Sri Lanka’s thirteenth parliament is to be held on Thursday morning with the election of a new Speaker as the first item in the agenda The two major political parties, the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the United National Party (UNP), are actively engaged in garnering the support of small parties to prove their majority in the election of new Speaker, parliamentary sources said.
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Battle lines drawn for election of Sri Lanka's Speaker

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 April 2004, 15:10 GMT]
Battle lines are drawn by the two major political parties, the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the United National Party (UNP), which have failed to obtain absolute majority in the general election on April 2, to show their strength when the thirteenth parliament is scheduled to meet on April 22 to elect the Speaker, political sources said.
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JHU rejects Peace Process, Norway Facilitation

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 April 2004, 13:31 GMT]
"We totally reject the present peace process as we believe it will only lead to the division of this country. We also reject the facilitation of Norway because it is partial towards the LTTE," said Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Propaganda Secretary Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera while outlining the basis of his party's position in backing the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, in an interview that appeared in today's weekly Sunday Times in Colombo.


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Nitharsanam film "Amma Nalama" released in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 April 2004, 06:34 GMT]
Mr.Ratha, Head of the Thamileelam Film Distribution Unit released the first copy of the "Amma Nalama?" a film produced by the Nitharsanam Television Unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam last Thursday evening at the Trincomalee Town Hall. The Chief Priest of the Trincomalee Pathirakali Ambal Temple Bramasiri S.Ravichchandrakurukkal received the first copy. Mr.N.Kesavarajan directed the film, sources said.
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JHU to support UPFA to form a government

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 April 2004, 16:17 GMT]
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) said Friday that it would support the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) to form a government without depending on other minority parties who call themselves as "kingmakers" in the country's politics. JHU has nine parliamentarians, all Buddhist monks, including two national list members in the new parliament. The current parliamentary strength of the UPFA is 105. The UPFA needs the support of eight parliamentarians to prove its simple majority in the 225 member-new parliament, political sources said.
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JHU opposes SL President's proposed talks with LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 April 2004, 15:58 GMT]
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), which has emerged as the third force in Sri Lanka's southern politics by winning nine parliamentary seats in the last week's general election, Thursday said it would oppose any move to hold direct talks only with the LTTE to come to an agreement to find a political solution to the ethnic crisis.
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"First priority is to obtain majority in parliament"- PM

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 April 2004, 10:40 GMT]
"My first priority is to secure a majority for my government in the parliament," said Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse soon after he assumed office as Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Tuesday morning. When he met the press after swearing in, he declined to reveal the details of which minority parties he is likely to woo to join the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) to obtain a majority in the parliament.
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TNA becomes third largest party in Sri Lanka’s 13th parliament

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 April 2004, 15:17 GMT]
The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Sunday evening emerged as the single largest party in the Sri Lanka’s thirteenth 225-member parliament with 105 seats and United National Party (UNP) with 82 seats. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which won four electoral districts, Jaffna, Vanni, Trincomalee and Batticaloa in the northeast province except Amparai became the third largest party in the new parliament with twenty two seats.
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TNA said leading in Trincomalee electoral district

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 April 2004, 00:19 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is reported to be leading by more than two thousand votes in the Trincomalee electoral district in the final count which is in progress Saturday early morning. TNA is now expected to capture two parliamentary seats for the first time under the district proportionate system, Tamil sources said.


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UPFA takes lead in Postal Votes

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 April 2004, 18:10 GMT]
The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) took the most number of votes in postal voting in three districts in the South, Election Department announced Friday night. The main constituent parties of the UPFA are the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). United National Party (UNP) came second and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) third.
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Sri Lanka Elections: News in Brief

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 March 2004, 01:14 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a party fielding Buddhist monks in parliamentary elections, begins its campaign in Kandy, candidates withdraw nominations in Digamadulla and Batticaloa, and a Tamil candidate dies of heart-attack in Nuwara Eliya, media reports said.
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112 candidates from Ten political parties contest Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 February 2004, 15:47 GMT]
Trincomalee electoral district Returning Officer Mr. Gamini Rodrigo Tuesday accepted nomination lists from ten political parties and six independent groups that are presenting candidates to contest the forthcoming general election for four Trincomalee seats, political sources said.
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UNP, UPFA avoid Jaffna district

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 February 2004, 12:27 GMT]
The Returning Officer of the Jaffna electoral district Mr.S.Pathmanathan Tuesday accepted nomination lists from eight political parties and two independent groups to Contest the forthcoming general election fixed for 2 April, election department sources said.


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171 candidates vie for six Vanni seats

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 February 2004, 11:28 GMT]
Ten different registered parties and nine independent groups are presenting 171 candidates for the forthcoming elections in the Vanni district for six seats. In the last elections held in 2001, 207 candidates from 23 groups competed in Vanni, according to Vanni election offiicials.
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Ten groups compete in elections for Vanni district

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 February 2004, 10:26 GMT]
Vavuniya Government Agent (GA) and Vavuniya election officer, K.Ganesh, accepted nominations papers from three independent groups and seven different political parties for the Vanni electoral district comprising Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu districts, sources in Vavuniya said.
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